Missione all'alba

I first saw this movie when I was 16, and didn't understand a lot of its subtleties; I just thought it was an exciting & dramatic war film with a lot of great flying sequences. I caught it again when I was 34 and was surprised at its depth.

I like to watch this movie whenever my own job gets crazy and hectic, with unrealistic deadlines and insufficient support, because it reminds me that I really don't have it so bad after all. The men in this movie were sent up daily in obsolete equipment in a bad state of disrepair; as the film progressed the squadron had about a 70% turnover as the combat veterans were shot down and replaced by green kids whose limited training could not possibly have prepared them for what they would face.

The characters are all dissected, even lesser, supporting roles receive excellent character studies, and the stars of course are downright fascinating. It's a thrill to learn that Errol Flynn (Captain Courtney) really could act, as well as just jump around and wave a sword; David Niven is wonderfully innocent and almost childlike as "Scotty," and Basil Rathbone, a truly great actor who seldom got the chance to strut his stuff since he was usually typecast as a "bad guy" or as Sherlock Holmes, gives a nerve-wrenching performance as Major Brand, who's floundering under the strain. He proves a profound point -- it is often easier to go to your own death than to order others to do so, a lesson Captain Courtney and Lt. Scott must reluctantly learn as well.

I'm now 44, and have seen this movie a couple dozen times, but it never ages. The flying sequences are still exciting; the chivalry and wild antics of the fliers never becomes tiresome or old, and the anguish of war is still as heartbreaking. Truly a movie that will last.

I don't have a lot to say about this movie. Errol Flynn is excellent as Captain Courtney, and the rest of the cast is excellent in their roles. That didn't surprise me. What surprised me was two things. First, how the British flying aces in World War I contend with the harsh realities of war, specifically the deaths of their friends and the decisions that had to be made to send more men to their deaths (excellently portrayed by Basil Rathbone as Major Brand). Whats most impressive, however, is how engaging the air sequences were. They were ahead of their time and they hold up rather well today. I just saw Pearl Harbour, and I would say the Dawn Patrol is more exciting. It holds up well today, and if you get a chance, give it a watch. 8 out of 10.

This is a stirring and exciting story of the courage shown by pilots who know they or their friends will likely be killed on one of their missions, and the anguish their commanders feel when sending them to their deaths. Set on the battlefields of WWI, the plot duplicates the 1930 version starring Douglass Fairbanks, Jr. In fact, whole sequences (especially flying scenes and the climactic attack) were lifted directly from the earlier film. (Note: although the 1930 version was originally entitled "Flight Command," and is occasionally screened under that title by TCM, IMDb also calls it "Dawn Patrol," probably to distinguish it from the 1940 Robert Taylor "Flight Command" about Navy pilots.)

Although it's a close call, I would recommend this later film over its predecessor, for the superior performances of the lead actors. Errol Flynn (as Dick Courtney) was more involving than 1930's Richard Barthelmess, a veteran actor whose performance retains the somewhat stilted quality of the silent film era. While Douglas Fairbanks Jr. was excellent in the 1930 version as pilot Doug Scott, David Niven in the same role positively sparkles in several more light-hearted, even comedic scenes. And although Neil Hamilton played Major Brand well in the original film, at least early on in the story, the role calls for a less-sympathetic performance, and who could be less sympathetic than Basil Rathbone at his sneery best?

Furthermore, current (as of 2012) releases of 1930's "Flight Command / Dawn Patrol" are not as visually clear in all scenes as the later version, and also have a lot of scratchy sounds and low rumble in the soundtrack, which are especially distracting in quieter scenes. Hopefully, remastered versions of both films will someday be available.

Still, this is only nit-picking, as both the 1930 and 1938 versions of "Dawn Patrol" are excellent. But given the choice, go with Flynn and Niven of 1938.

Being someone who likes Errol Flynn, David Niven and Basil Rathbone and who has liked/loved a good deal of the films of all three, 'The Dawn Patrol' is a must watch for anybody who likes either actor or all three and for anybody who likes war films.

A remake of the 1930 Howard Hawks film, this is hardly inferior (quite the opposite). Even with scenes lifted from the earlier film, it's a good-looking film, is very nicely shot and has a good deal of authentic atmosphere. Edmund Goulding's direction is very much assured while pacing scenes in a methodical but never overly so way. Max Steiner's score is lushly orchestrated and stirring.

'The Dawn Patrol' has a gripping script, making its points without veering into heavy-handedness while the story is ceaselessly compelling, perfectly conveying the futility and passion of war, the comrades' horrors and conflicts and showing grace even under pressure.

Characters are not stereotypes in any way, instead compellingly real characters with human and relatable conflicts. The sterling supporting cast has Donald Crisp in particular standing out, but the three leads are what make 'The Dawn Patrol' particularly worth watching.

Rathbone has rarely been more tortured and Niven epitomises innocent grace, but it's Flynn's film in a performance that's genuinely moving (proof that he could act and had more range than given credit for when allowed).

In summary, a wonderful and powerful film. 10/10 Bethany Cox

The Dawn Patrol - based on a book my John Monk Saunders is the story of a RFC squadron in France during the Great War.

If has three good central performances - Basil Rathbone showing an array of hyper tense emotions - David Niven changing from a happy go lucky drunken fool to a hardened leader of men and the best, by far, Errol Flynn as a guilt ridden hero whose nerves are torn to shreds.

Flynn has had so much bad press over the years and people forget that he was a great actor in the early days. This film demonstrates that superbly. There are no women in this film, no distractions. It's about men up against it, and having to watch their comrades die needlessly against overwhelming odds.

The film has moments of silence, laughter, terror all mixed together with some superb skewed camera angles in the mess to give a feeling of drunken hopelessness.

Flynn's relief at seeing Niven when he thought he was dead is a moving performance. His quiet moments when he talks about England, his control when trying to convince Nivens younger brother to go up for the first time - these scenes show real presence and talent. You feel for him and all around him.

Coming out just before the beginning of WW2 it would have given the home audiences great understanding of what they faced - a hard and bloody task, where young men will die as surely as the older ones will order them to fight.

This film should be reissued on DVD and shown around the world - it's that good. Let's write some more scripts like this and start making some decent films again.